Everyone Needs A Mental Health Rock

My Mom is my mental rock.  (I snuck up on her and said, "Say cheese." She lost her tooth after a fall.  It's getting fixed.)  Yesterday was her birthday. Here she was last year with a full smile :)

When I was first diagnosed with a mental illness, I kept it from my family.  I was on medical leave from school, but every day, at 3 pm, I'd get into my teaching clothes and visit my parents at their restaurant as if nothing was wrong.  They had no idea for almost ten years. Biggest regret of my life.  I was ashamed then.

Most people believe that mental disorders are rare and "happen to someone else." In fact, mental disorders are common and widespread. They can strike anyone at any time. An estimated 53 million Americans suffer from some form of mental disorder in a given year.

A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior, resulting in an inability to cope with life's ordinary demands and routines. There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Some of the more common disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia, PTSD, eating and anxiety disorders. Symptoms may include changes in mood, personality, personal habits, and/or social withdrawal and phobias.

Mental health problems may be related to excessive stress due to a particular situation or series of events. As with cancer, diabetes and heart disease, mental illnesses are often physical as well as emotional and psychological.

Mental illnesses may be caused by a reaction to environmental stresses, genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, or a combination of these. With proper care and treatment many individuals learn to cope with or recover from a mental illness or emotional disorder.

After they educated me about mental illnesses during my inpatient and outpatient hospitalizations, I educated my mother.  I also have a close relative who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.  

Together, the family copes.  My mom is our rock.

~Laurie


Today marks the third day of Mental Health Awareness Week in the United States. I dedicate this week to, thus, raising awareness here and around the world.